Airplane



J. ECK

AIRPLANE May 5, 1931.

Filed Dec. 2, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet l J? C @us-s 56K May 5, 1931. J ECK 1,804,092 AIRPLANE Filed Dec. 2, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 5, 1931 J; EcK 1,804,092

I AIRPLANE Filed Dec. 2, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 J. ECK

AIRPLANE May 5, 1931.

Filed 2, 1929 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 JA QuEs fags latented May 5, 1931 JACQUES E03, 01 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA mLANE Application filed December '2, .1929. Serial No. 411,079.

One object of this invention is to provide an airplane having a lifting propeller, novel means being provided for putting the lifting propeller into commission, or out of commission, as the case may be. Another object of the invent-ion is to provide novel. means whereby the operator can tilt the planes of the machine, as occasion may requlre. Another object of the invention is to improve 19 the construction of the fuel tank.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that sort to which the present invention appertains.

\Vith the above and other objects in view,

which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement-of parts and in the details of constructi-rin hereinafter described 22 and claimed, it being understood that changes may be made in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, Within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows in front elevation, a device constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a detailed diagrammatic view illustrating the means whereby the planes are tilted;

Figure 4 is a fragmental section taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 2;

Figure '5 is an enlarged sectional view of the lifting propeller and attendant mechanism, parts being in elevation;

Figure 6 is a sectional view illustrating one of the shoes;

Figure 7 is a front view showing a modification.

The device comprises fuselages 1 provided with depending sockets 2. Braces 8 (Figure 2) connect the sockets 2 and are joined to the fuselages 1. Shoes 4 are provided and have upstanding legs 5 that slide in the sockets 2. Strong compression springs 6 are located in the sockets 2 and cooperate with the legs 5 to sustain the shoes 4 yieldingly, the

construction being such that the machine will be cushioned, as it lands, and will effect a landing without jar.

The fuselages 1 are connected by a frame work 7 which need not be described in detail. The frame work 7 carries a fixed central plane 8. The frame work 7 comprises lateral extensions 9. A horizontal shaft 10 is supported in the extensions 9 and in the fixed central plane 8. Side planes 11 are mounted at their forward ends on the shaft 10 for adjustment up and down at their rear ends, in a way which will be understood readily when Figure 8 of the drawings is noted.

Figure 4 shows that there are slots 12 in the frame work 7. Bearings 14 are mounted on the frame work 7. Shafts 15 are mounted to rotate in the bearings 14, and are held in the bearings, against longitudinal movement. The shafts 15 extend downwardly into the fuselages 1, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawings. Approximately horizontal shafts 16 are supported for rotation in the fuselages 1 and the shafts 16 and 15 are connected by intermeshing beveled pinions 18. The shafts 16 may be rotated through the instrumentality of cranks 17, or in any other suitable wav.

Each of the shafts 15 is provided with a screw 19 which is threadedinto a traveler 20 in the form of a nut having a stem 22 that extends outwardly through the slots 12. On the stems 22 are pivoted the lower ends of links 23, the upper ends of the links 23 being pivoted at 24 to the side planes 11, at points near to the rear edges of the side planes. The planes 11 are connected with the links 23 by means of braces 25.

The fuselages 1 may be connected by an im'erted Vshaped tank 26, adapted to contain fuel. water. or anything of the like. Owing to the particular way in which the gas tank 26 is located. the flying machine will be steadied in operation. and the strength of the .device will be promoted.

At the forward ends of the fuselages 1 are located the main engines 27 that drive the main propellers 28. An auxiliary engine 29 is carried by the frame work 7 and is located, between the main engines 27 and at a higher elevation than the main engines. The shaft of the auxiliary engine 29 is clearly shown in Figure 5 of the drawings and is marked by the numeral 30. At the forward end of the shaft 30 there is a propeller 31 which is so located as to advance the machine horizontaL ly. The propeller 31 is carried by a sleeve 32 journaled on the shaft 30, but adapted to be connectedto the said shaft by a clutch 33.

The clutch 33 is operated by a lever 34 fulcrumed at 35 on the frame work of'the engine 29. The lever 34 is operated by a rod 36 or any other equivalent mechanism extended to any convenient place on the flying machine. The lever 36 is connected by a link 37 with a lever 38 fulcrumed at 39 in a housing 40 on the frame of the engine 29.

Thenumeral 41 marks a gear that is ournaled on the sh aft 30 and is located within the housing 40. The gear 41, however, can be connected to the shaft 30 operatively through the instrumentality of a clutch 42 that is 0p-. erated by the lever 36. The gear 41 meshes with a gear 43 on a tubular shaft 44 held for rotation in the housing 40. A shaft 45 is longitudinally adjustable in the tubular shaft 44, the shafts 45 and 44 being splined together, as shown at 46, for simultaneous rotation. A set screw 47, or its equivalent, holds the shaft 45 releasably against longitudinal movement in the tubular shaft 44. The shaft 45 is journaled in a bearing 48 carried by the fixed central plane 8. On the upper end of the shaft 45 there is a lifting or helicopter propeller 49.

In Figure 7, parts hereinbefore described have been designated. by numerals previously used, with the suffix a.

In this form of the invention, there is a single fuselage 1a, a single main engine 27a with its propeller 28a, and two auxiliary engines 29a with their propellers 31a. The helicopter propeller 49a is operatively connected with the engine 27a through the instrumentality of a mechanism like that depicted in Figure 5.

The structure shown in Figure 6 cushions the landing movement of the machine.

Because'the shafts 45 and 44 are telescoped as shown in Figure 5, the lifting propeller 49 may be raised or lowered, as occasion demands. Through the instrumentality of the member shown at 36, the member 34 may be tilted to operate the clutch 33, thereby to couple the propeller 31 with the shaft 30, or to uncouple the propeller from the shaft. Motion is transmitted by the link 37 to the lever 38, and the lever operates the clutch 42 to couple the gear 41 to the shaft 30. The operator, thus, can have either the propeller 31 or the propeller 49 connected operatively with the shaft 30.

The machin may be raised through the instrument-ality of the propeller 49 by a train of elements comprising the shaft 45, the shaft 44, the gear 43, the gear 41, the shaft 30, and the engine 29.

When the clutch 42 is thrown out, to render the lifting propeller 49 inactive, the propeller 31 may be coupled to the engine 29 to aid in advancing the machine along the line of flight.

The operator can rotate the shaft 15 by means of the intermeshing beveled gears 18, the shaft 16, and the crank 17. The screw 19 operates the traveler 14, the link 23 is operated, and the rear edge of each of the side planes 11 may he swung upwardly and downwardly, as shown in Figure 3, thereby to control the movement'of the flying machine, in a way and for purposes well understood by those skilled in the art.

What is claimed'is:

1. A flying machine having a twopart fuselage, and an inverted V-shaped fuel tank extended parallel to the line of flight between the constituent members of the fuselage and comprising downwardly diverging, liquidholding parts which communicate at their upper ends.

' 2. A flying machine comprising spaced fuselages, a frame connecting the fuselages and extended upwardly above the fusclages, a fixed central plane carried by the frame, side planes located on opposite sides of the central plane and pivotally carried by the frame for raising and lowering at their rear ends, travellers mounted to slide on the frame, links pivoted to the side planes and to the travellers, shafts extended into the fuselages and journaled on the frame, the shafts being threaded into the travellers, and means in each fuselage for operating one of the shafts.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

JACQUES ECK. 

